Female Characters In Shakespeare's Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello is a dramatization of the tragic manipulation of good-hearted characters, by a cunning, selfish man. Set in 16th century Venice and Cyprus, Othello is a universal story that could happen at any time, in any place, to any group of people. The play’s title character is the moor, Othello, a general in the Venetian army who elopes with Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator. Othello is serviced by “Honest” Iago, his officer, who tricks Othello into believing that his wife is having an affair. Iago also manipulates Michael Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, and uses him in his evil plan, as well as his companion, Bianca, a prostitute. To execute his plan, he exploits his wife, Emilia, who is Desdemona's handmaiden. In the end, Othello, Desdemona, and Emilia all die, and Cassio is badly wounded. The three major female characters -- Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca -- each embody the stereotypical female characteristics of ignorant …show more content…
Desdemona is the play’s hopeless romantic who falls for Othello’s stories, believes wholeheartedly in marriage being sacred, and idealizes her husband until the end. Coming from a Noble Venetian family, Desdemona’s love for Othello attracts the ire of her father, but she does truly love him. Almost shocked by Desdemona’s devotion, Othello remarks, “Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, of moving accidents by flood and field...The Anthropophagi and men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders. This to hear would Desdemona seriously incline” (1.3.131-145). It is in fact Othello’s fantastical stories that draws the fascination of the beauty of Venice. Whether or not these tales hold water, their being the basis of Desdemona’s love epitomizes the surrealism of her and Othello’s relationship. While certainly an odd reason for falling in love, these stories prove to be the bedrock of Desdemona’s surprisingly strong allegiance to her husband. In discussing her marriage